Don't Be a Stranger

Saturday, March 10, 2012

I hate homework. I hated homework as a kid. And I hate homework now. I also know that I will hate homework more, in the future, when the consequence of not doing it is more dire.

For now, whenever I find notes in the twins' bags about what I am supposed to do with them, in the name of bonding and sharing time, I cringe. I like spending time with them but on my own terms and not organised time. Unfortunately, schools all seem too keen on having parent child collaborative projects and we started doing these things since the twins were in toddler groups.

The most recent one required effort and planning. It didn't sound too difficult. Make a crazy hat. The crazier the better. My initial thought was Daiso. Buy a $2 hat and decorate it. But Young Imperious Master Evan told me that we had to MAKE the hat.

So struggle I do, to come up with something that look like hats. Jordan, wanted a tiara. As close as I could get to that was a strip of egg carton wrapped round a headband. But to make it hold, I needed to stitch it on. It ended up looking like something that Lady Liberty should be wearing or Jordan, wearing it should also have a book and a torch.

Of course, Young Imperious Master Evan changed the rules mid way and decided that his crazy hat ought to be Papa's old Teachers' Day present; a flimsy black magician's hat. Of course, the decoration of choice was supposed to be a rabbit in the hat but since I told him he couldn't wear a rabbit under his hat lest it pooped on his head, he agreed to decorate it more conventionally with stars and stripes.

So both hats had flavours of America but not quite. It also had flavours of Aussie with dingly dangly name beads on Evan's as if he had to swat flies. Jordan's just ended up looking like earrings, which she of course loved to death.

The hat project took 3 mornings, right up to the last minutes before they boarded the bus to Crazy Hat Day.

So what did they do?- They stuck on sparkly leaves, stars and ribbons.- They strung the name beads.- They drowned their hats in water glue (specifically water glue, none other would do) and then choked it with sparkles and glitter. This meant my hydrangeas and the corridor covered with fine purple sparkly dust.

What did Mommy do?- Stitch the egg carton onto the headband.- Stitch the leaves onto the ribbon strip for Jordan because the leaves just wouldn't adhere to water glue like they wanted it to.- Stitch on a row of stars for Evan- Perforate the creations so that we could sting up the name beads.

The result?Two very stoked children and one Mommy with fingers that had been impaled by the needle emerging from hard egg carton.

At least, with this sort of the homework, the twins are thrilled with the end product and it makes it all worthwhile for me. What happens when it is dull drilling and spelling?